First Flight and Ignition Programs

The Center for Writing Excellence is sponsoring two programs—First Flight and Ignition—to begin pilot testing the processes and supports through which Elon will significantly enhance the writing instruction and assistance it provides all of our students.

First Flight Program

The First Flight Program enables selected departments and programs to become the first to provide their students with the enriched writing support that all departments will eventually offer. These pioneering departments also assist other departments by developing models, providing inspiration, and encountering unexpected bumps in the process so that these difficulties can be eliminated for those who follow.

Through a competitive process, eight academic departments and four Student Life programs were selected to participate in 2013-2014. They are joined by four Student Life programs. During the year, the twelve will test the first two phases of our four-phase process by doing the following:

identifying the writing abilities they want their students to have at the point of graduation (for academic departments) or the end of their interaction with the students.

evaluating the writing instruction, feedback, and support they provide their students

planning the ways they will coordinate their courses and activities to progressively develop students’ writing abilities during the time the students are with them (four years for academic programs; shorter periods for Student Life programs).

Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement
Mary Morrison

Ignition Program

The Ignition Program enables departments to identify and work on projects that lay the foundation for their future work on the Writing Excellence Initiative. Departments identify their own project, which they pursue with a grant and assistance from the Center for Writing Excellence.

For 2013-2014, six academic departments are participating. All will report on their projects and results at the end of the academic year.

Writing boot camps enable faculty and staff to devote a full day exclusively to their writing projects. They are a great way to launch or make progress on your research/creative/professional writing project.